Get Back With Paul

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes...  The Beatles - Penny Lane

Paul McCartney doing carpool karaoke on The Late Late Show with  James Corden is one of the best thing that I have seen in a while.  Paul goes back to his childhood neighborhood and it is awesome.

Mach Schau

You've got something that'll save us, Save us now... Paul McCartney - Save Us

When The Beatles were playing in Hamburg, Germany in the club The Indra which was owned by Bruno Koschmider, he would come to the front of the stage and shout “Mach schau, mach schau!” (which is make a show for the customers) and of course The Beatles would comply, as does Paul McCartney below on the live debut of Save Us.

Paul Plays Queenie Eye

Queenie eye, queenie eye who's got the ball; I haven't got it, it isn't in my pocket... Paul McCartney - Queenie Eye 

Queenie Eye is a catchy little ditty on Paul McCartney's 16th solo studio album New. The song according to the The Beatle's Bible is about a game.

"Now this song, Queenie Eye, is based on a game we used to play when I was kids. You got to remember that's a long time ago and basically in kind of a poor area I was from. What you did you entertain yourself was go out in the street and play street games. There wasn't that much traffic, so you were pretty safe. And one of the games was called Queenie Eye." Paul McCartney

Amazed Faces

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song... (Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed)

Macca wrote this song for his wife Linda during the troubling end of the Beatles era.  Recorded in February 1970 in EMI's studios at Abbey Road, Paul played all the instruments.  One of Paul's best solo songs, but not released as a single until 1977.

The Ronnie Wood/Rod Stewart led Faces covered the song in 1971 on their album Long Playing.

The Corners Best of 2011

I can't help it if I fall in love with you again, I'm calling just to let you know it dawned on me... (Wilco - Dawned On Me)

2011 was a great year for me personally and another fine year in terms of music. As usual, there was music that seemed to come from nowhere: The Decemberists, The High Dials, R.E.M. (sounded a bit like earlier R.E.M.); music from old reliables: Wilco and John Hiatt. I saw some great shows this year: John Prine, Steve Earle, My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers and much to my surprise Paul McCartney.

Sadly we lost some artists including the great Clarence Clemons. Bruce Springsteen is planning to release new music and tour in 2012, but it is hard to imagine E Street without the Big Man. The White Stripes and R.E.M. annouced their breakups from their web pages. Music will continue in 2012, but let's look back.

Top 10 CDS of 2011

1. The Decemberists - The King is Dead - The music is classic "folk rock" with a twist of R.E.M. Peter Buck plays on several songs and you can hear the R.E.M. influence.. Highlights include Down By the Water, The Calamity Song, Rox in the Box and This Is Why We Fight. The lyrics are interesting and the CD is solid throughout.

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2. Wilco - The Whole Love - Another outstanding outting from Chicago's best. Jeff Tweedy and company seem more confident and the CD is more even than recent releases Highlights include Dawned On Me, Born Alone, Capitol City, Standing O and The Art of Almost.

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3. R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now - R.E.M.'s comeback album was short live whent the band annouced thier breakup later in the year. This release hearkens back to earlier R.E.M. Highlights include Mine Smell Like Honey, It Happened Today, Uberlin and Oh My Heart.

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4. My Morning Jacket - Circuital - I must admit that after 2008's CD of the year Evil Urges, I was a bit disappointed with Circuital. It's not that it is not a fine record, my expectations were probably too high. Circuital contains several really good songs including Victory Dance, First Light, Circuital and Outta My System.

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5. The High Dials - Anthems For Doomed Youth -Music like this is a breath of fresh air. They don't make music like this anymore or do they? The High Dials play homage to the 60's or 70's but manage to still sound fresh. Plenty of highlights abound, but Teenage Love Made Me Insane, I'm Over You (I Hope It's True), Uruguay and Snowed In should be heard.

6. John Hiatt - Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns
7. Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive

8. Old 97's - The Grand Theatre, Vol. 2
9. The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time
10. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

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Top 10 Songs of 2011

1. The Decemberists - Down By the Water
2. The Decemberists - The Calamity Song
3. Wilco - Dawned On Me
4. R.E.M. - Mine Smell Like Honey
5. The High Dials - Teenage Love Made Me Insane
6. The Decemberists - This is Why We Fight
7. R.E.M. - It Happened Today
8. My Morning Jacket - First Light
9. The Decemberists - Rox in the Box
10. Wilco - Born Alone

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Top Concert 2011

2011 was really a fantastic year in terms of concerts. I saw John Prine, My Morning Jacket, Steve Earle and The Avett Brothers. However, the best concert of the year was hands down (or hands up) Paul McCartney at The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, OH. Paul was fantastic, sounded and looked great. He ran through classic song after classic, from The Beatles All My Lovin', Blackbird, Elanor Rigby to his great solo stuff from Band On the Run, Mrs. Vanderbilt and Jet. One of the best concerts that I have ever seen period.

Paul McCartney On the Run in Cincinnati

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song... (Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed)

I saw Paul McCartney in Cincinnati, OH at The Great American Ballpark last thursday. What a great show! Paul looked fit and young for a man of 69; he acted like a man enjoying what he was doing and sounded like Paul McCartney. The setlist included classic after classic; 5 songs from Paul's Band on the Run album and some of Paul's great Beatle songs from All My Lovin' to Blackbird to Eleanor Rigby... Paul did tributes to George Harrison playing Something on ukelele and to John Lennon with A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance.

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The show started with the appropriate Hello Goodbye and finished with an awesome medley from Abbey Road Golden Slumber/Carry That Weight/The End. The band did an excellent job of recreating the sounds of the records. Fantastic....

The Ghosts of Superbowl Halftimes Past

I don't follow rainbows, big dreams, brass rings; I've already captured mine, back when I was number 29... (Steve Earle - No. 29)

We are a week away from Superbowl XLIV and what should be a great football game. With the annual Superbowl comes the halftime show. Today let's look back at some of those highlights.

U2 (Superbowl 36)



Paul McCartney (Superbowl 39)


Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (Superbowl 42)




Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (Superbowl 43)


Others worthy of mention are The Rolling Stones (Superbowl 40) and Prince (Superbowl 41). Here's to Superbowl 44 and The Who. Long Live Rock...